A statue commemorating General Douglas MacArthur stands in MacArthur Square in Milwaukee.

The statue of the former General of the Army stands on a pedestal at MacArthur Square, hat on his head, hands behind him.

He is Douglas MacArthur and, although the sculpture is in the vicinity of the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Milwaukee County Courthouse, the Safety Building and the Police Administration Building, he does not attract much attention.

"It's such a waste to have him over there," said Ted Hutton, a retired Allen-Bradley executive. "Most people don't even know the statue exists."

But that may change. Charles C. (Chas) Mulcahy, a retired lawyer who was involved in creating MacArthur Memorial Week back in 1979 when the bronze statue was first unveiled, is leading the charge with Hutton and Mike Balistriere of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council to move the statue to the War Memorial Center.

"We're in a very preliminary stage," Mulcahy said. "But we would like to do this as part of a 35th anniversary MacArthur Memorial Week next June."

So far at least, the feedback from some veterans groups has been positive, Mulcahy said.

MacArthur and his family lived for a time in Milwaukee, and he attended the old West Division High School. Theobald Otjen, a Wisconsin congressman and former member of the Milwaukee Common Council, nominated MacArthur to West Point.

MacArthur's rise through the military ranks was swift and controversial. He served in World War I, was West Point superintendent in the 1920s, and retired from the U.S. Army in 1937 to advise the military of the Philippines.

In 1941, MacArthur was recalled to active duty to command army forces in Asia. When Japan invaded the Philippines in World War II, MacArthur's forces had to withdraw, and eventually he escaped to Australia.

After several years of battles, MacArthur returned to the Philippines — keeping a now-famous promise — and officially accepted Japan's surrender in September 1945. MacArthur oversaw the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951 and later led the United Nations Command in the Korean War.

In April 1951, MacArthur was removed from his command by President Harry S. Truman. MacArthur died in 1964.

Mulcahy said he planned to meet with city and county officials to gain their support for moving the statue, which he said remains in excellent condition.

The statue is now on city land. But county approval will likely be needed, too, Mulcahy said.

Ald. Bob Bauman said Wednesday that he thought moving the statue was a good idea.

And although the MacArthur statue has largely been forgotten, moving the statue may spark a renewal of interest in his life.

"I'm a Marine Corps veteran," Balistriere said. "Right now, that statue isn't very visible to folks anymore. It doesn't get a lot of attention. But it will at the War Memorial."